# Focal point

`kaal:entity:focal-point`

**Status.** derived

This node is assembled mechanically from the 3 claims that carry the concept tag `focal-point`. It is a roster of what the corpus says under this term. It is **not** an adjudicated definition: no single statement here has been ruled canonical, and no first-appearance call has been made. Read the claims and judge for yourself.

## Every claim under this term

3 claims across 2 works, 2013 to 2021.

**2013**

- [2267560-048](https://wulfkaal.github.io/claims/2267560-048) [design/argued] -- The feedback process in dynamic regulation may be viewed as a focal point or principle for rulemaking, enabling rulemakers to provide for contingencies ex-ante and to adopt rules that are applicable and adaptable to future states of the world.
  > Dynamic regulation as a focal point or principle enables rulemakers to adapt to contingencies if and when they arise because the feedback effect provides relevant, timely, decentralized, and institution-specific information for rulemaking.
  Wulf A. Kaal, Evolution of Law Dynamic Regulation in a New Institutional Economics Framework (2013). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2267560

**2021**

- [3782220-021](https://wulfkaal.github.io/claims/3782220-021) [failure/argued] *(failure mode)* -- Transcendental values must remain transcendental, because once formalized too rigorously they become more manipulable: a clearly specified definition becomes a focal point for competition instead of a unifying principle.
  > they need to remain transcendental. Once they are formalized too rigorously, they become more manipulable. For example, once the definition of ne- cessity versus non-essential is specified clearly, it becomes a focal point for competi- tion, instead of a unifying principle
  Craig Calcaterra, Wulf A. Kaal, The Importance of Transcendental Unifying Values for Decentralization (2021). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3782220
- [3782220-022](https://wulfkaal.github.io/claims/3782220-022) [failure/argued] *(failure mode)* -- Drawing a clear formal line between where individual rights stop and social responsibilities start makes the system brittle and unstable by turning that line into a focal point for competition, so the line between the two values must remain vague.
  > If we were to make a clear distinction between where our individual rights stop and social respon- sibilities start, then that formal line becomes a focal point for competition which makes the system brittle and unstable. Instead the line between the two values must remain vague.
  Craig Calcaterra, Wulf A. Kaal, The Importance of Transcendental Unifying Values for Decentralization (2021). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3782220

## Verify

Every claim above resolves to a record carrying a verbatim source quote, the sha256 of the source PDF, and a preformatted citation. Nothing here asks to be taken on trust.

    curl -s https://wulfkaal.github.io/entities/focal-point.md | sha256sum

**Canonical form.** This markdown file is the canonical hashed representation of this entity node. Its sha256 is the content hash.